"I stand with the Keep Big Bend Wild coalition"
I stand with the Keep Big Bend Wild coalition in their mission to secure official Wilderness designation for Big Bend National Park's untouched backcountry. This fight isn't new—the National Park Service first championed it in 1974, during my tenure as Director, and reaffirmed the call in 1978. Now, it's time for Congress to act. By enshrining permanent, statutory protection, we can ensure Big Bend’s breathtaking landscapes remain shielded from policy shifts or development threats. It's heartening to see the backing of former NPS Directors, united in our commitment to safeguarding America's wilderness legacy so future generations can continue to embrace its solitude, beauty, and ecological richness."
~ Ronald H. Walker, NPS Director 1973-1975
AP | Trump administration briefly pauses contentious border project in Texas’ Big Bend National Park
The Trump administration said Monday it is temporarily pausing construction of a contentious border construction project in Texas’ Big Bend National Park while the head of the agency tasked with building[…]
Public Domain | Trump Administration Halts Border Work In Big Bend National Park As Outrage Grows
Originally posted August 17, 2026 The Trump administration has paused all border barrier construction work at Big Bend National Park, after a flurry of videos showing bulldozers marring the[…]
Y’all-itics Podcast | Bulldozing Big Bend
The bulldozing of Big Bend National Park is underway and the bipartisan fallout emerging from the debris piles has been swift and is growing in ferocity. A bipartisan coalition[…]
US Public Lands Threats Map
Construction activities began in August 2026 after federal environmental and cultural resource laws were waived for this project. Planned infrastructure includes border barriers, patrol roads, lighting, surveillance systems, and[…]
WaPo | Bulldozing begins at Big Bend National Park for border construction
Government contractors are bulldozing parts of the iconic and environmentally sensitive Big Bend National Park as the Trump administration pushes forward with a $46.5 billion effort to expand a[…]
Pam LeBlanc Adventures | Former Big Bend superintendent reacts as bulldozers begin clearing land at national park
Contractors broke ground on Wednesday, but Customs and Border Protection still won’t say exactly what they’re doing, instead claiming they are “in the initial stages of planning and design.”
Our Public Lands and Waters | Watch Federal Contractors Destroy Big Bend National Park
As I reported on Wednesday, federal contractors from Southwest Valley Constructors have broken ground in Big Bend National Park for border barriers and new roads.
SFGate | Bulldozers are ripping apart Big Bend National Park. Conservationists are furious.
Originally posted August 7, 2026 Heavy construction equipment has appeared inside Big Bend National Park in southern Texas as contractors for Customs and Border Protection begin a land assessment.[…]
Courier Texas | Trump Administration begins construction inside Big Bend
Billy Bartko has spent his life building something in Terlingua. He and his wife own Far Flung Outdoor Center near Big Bend National Park—guided river trips, Jeep tours, ATV tours, and[…]
Midland Reporter Telegram | Texas lawmakers urge delay of proposed road over Big Bend’s Mariscal Mountain
Texas members of Congress and U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee, urged Trump administration officials to delay work on a proposed road across[…]
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Click this button to add your name to the growing list of individuals, businesses, and organizations supporting a wilderness designation for the undeveloped lands of Big Bend National Park.
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Every contribution helps defray the cost of our volunteers to produce materials and travel to meetings to build awareness and strengthen our coalition.
Contributions supporting Keep Big Bend Wild are managed by the El Paso Community Foundation and are tax deductible as allowed by law.
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Images © Rebecca Latson.
Keep Big Bend Wild
P.O. Box 66
Big Bend National Park, TX, 79834